The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal to introduce a Bill to amend the Copyright Act, 1957. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has proposed the amendments in order to gain clarity, remove operational difficulties and to address the newer issues that have emerged in the context of digital technology and the internet.
The Chairman of a Branch, after demitting office, should not seek re-election for or hold the said or any other post at Branch level in subsequent years. The Committee also decided that no member should hold two posts simultaneously and that in case, as a result, any difficulty was faced, the matter may be brought before the Institute for its consideration.
When it comes to social security measures, India is still considered to be an evolving country even after more than sixty years of independence. Central Government has announced a new pension scheme (NPS) w.e.f. 1st May, 2009 established under Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. The scheme has been in operation for government employees since 2004 but has been only now opened to Indian citizens which will benefit all citizens, particularly those in private sector employment and those who are self employed.
Savings are generally made from taxable income, which has already been subjected to tax provisions. There are certain savings which, if made enjoy exemption from taxation. Not only this, the income or returns arising from such savings or investments are also exempt from tax and when such savings are redeemed on maturity, they are not subjected to any income tax. Thus, such amounts of savings are never taxed at any pint of time. Such a situation works on a model of exempt- exempt-exempt (EEE). An investment in provident fund or public provident fund or national savings certificate are typical examples of EEE model, at present.
In a recent ruling Delhi Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in the case of Growth Avenue Securities Pvt. Ltd. (Taxpayer) v DCIT [ITA No. 3912/Del/2005] on the issue of inclusion of capital gains in book profits while computing Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) under the provisions of the Indian Tax Law (ITL), where such capital gains are not chargeable to tax under the normal provisions of the ITL. The ITAT held that any adjustments outside the scope of the MAT computation mechanism, under the ITL, is not permissible and since the exclusion of capital gains is not specifically provided therein, a taxpayer is not entitled to such an adjustment while computing book profits for the purpose of MAT.
In recent times, Ministry of Corporate Affairs has taken a number of initiatives by introducing e-stamping with MCA-21 to further facilitate the e-registration of companies. It has also made the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) functional. Limited Liability Partnership Act has been enacted and relevant rules issued.
Further to the First Discussion Paper released by the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on 10 November 2009, the Finance Commission has released its report giving its recommendations on GST design implementation.
Accounting regulator Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has allowed Indian students of chartered accountancy to undergo their mandatory three-year training programme outside India. This means that even ICAI members working with a local firm outside India would be entitled to train chartered accountancy students. Earlier, CA students had to undertake the training programme within India. This also posed a problem for students settled abroad.
Accounting regulator ICAI said on Wednesday it would give auditors of Price Waterhouse in the Satyam scam a chance to present their side before passing any order against them. “I told my office to take permission of the court because I want Director, Discipline, to begin proceedings against them (S Gopalakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri). Unless I listen to them, I cannot pass the order against them… either send them to us or a llow us to hear them while in custody,” ICAI President Mr Uttam Prakash Agarwal said.
Valuation of Perquisites under Rule 3 of Income Tax Rule 1962 read with sub section 2 of section 17 of Income Tax Act, 1961 (As Revised wide Income Tax (Thirteenth Amendment) Rules. 2009). The Finance (No. 2) Act, 2009, has withdrawn the levy of Fringe Benefit Tax (“FBT”) on expenditure incurred by an employer on or after 1 April 2009. Consequently, by an employee benefits which were subject to FBT have been brought back within the ambit of perquisites and taxable in the hands of employees from the financial year (“F.Y.”) 2009-10 onwards.
